I'm looking to do my first partial mash this weekend. Do I need to steep the specialty grains seperately, or just add to the base for mashing?

I always steeped my grains in a smaller enameled kettle. When the 30 minutes was up, I would pour the grains and "tea" through a strainer on top of my brew kettle. Then sparge the grains w/ hot tap water. That way I didn't have all those lose grains after the boil floating around.

If I'm understanding your question correcty, you're asking if you should steep adjunct grains like crystal, chocolate, etc malts seperately from your base malt, probably 2-row. If that's the question, then no, you can mix them all together, hold them at the appropriate temperature for the mash, and sparge the whole lot of it together.

Definitely keep all grain out of your boil, but I don't think that's what you were asking.

Also, hot tap water is nowhere near hot enough to do an effective sparge. You want your water at more like 170 degrees F.

I'd definitely do the mash in a seperate pot from your kettle, but I don't think that's what you were asking either. A mini-mash works just like an all-grain batch but with smaller vessels.

Cheers!

__________________Oh don't give me none more of that Old Janx Spirit
No, don't you give me none more of that Old Janx Spirit
For my head will fly, my tongue will lie, my eyes will fry and I may die
Won't you pour me one more of that sinful Old Janx Spirit

i can mini mash about eight pounds of grain in a 20 quart ss kettle. i have a spigot on it now, and am working on a better filter element than stuffing some scouring pads (the brass ones maybe, not with soap... ) in the end of the spigot... this lets me drain the wort out and not mess up the grain bed too much. before i was dumping the whole mash through a large collander into my brewpot, then pouring the hot water over, with ok results, but i noticed a better flavor and more punch with the method i describe below.

i add one quart of water per pound of grain to my 5 gallon kettle, bring the water up to about 175 F, take the kettle off the heat, then add the grain and give it a whirl... it should stabalize at about 155 or so. put the lid on it, then it goes into the oven at lowest setting simply to maintain the 155 degees for an hour, oh yea, start yer oven ahead of time if you want to do it this way. i start to boil a bunch of water, usually three or four gallons at this time.

the water i've heated in the other kettle to 170 or sometimes higher as the heat bleeds off when i take it from the stove and loses a bit whilst sparging, i slowly siphon over the mash pot... i poked some holes in the end of a tube and just let it lay across the grain bed and drain the sweet wort out into my beer boiling kettle.

then i add the dme while the kettle is still off the heat and bring it back up to a boil....

enjoy! the enhancement in taste going from a simple grain steep with six lbs of malt extract to a mini mash with half the extract will blow you away. and when you look at the bill, like i do now, you'll say... gah!!!! no more malt extract!!!! i am anxiously awaiting my spring time transition to all grain!

have fun, let us know how it goes.

__________________A barrel of malt, a bushel of hops, you stir it around with a stick
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never argue with an idiot, they'll just drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

I was also wondering if you think I should do a starter on this one. I'm using White Labs California Ale yeast, in the pitchable tubes. I'm thinking it's not necessary, but I bought a little extra DME just in case.

If I did do a starter, would it be ok to make it tonight and brew Sunday? Or is this not enough time?

plenty of time, make a starter, keep it nice and cozy i made one once and kept it in the basement with the other stuff, and the yeast didn't get off soo well. it did eventually, but almost the same as if i'd just dumped the vial.

__________________A barrel of malt, a bushel of hops, you stir it around with a stick
The kind of lubrication to make your engine tick

never argue with an idiot, they'll just drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.